Watch the AKC National Championship on Animal Planet New Year’s Day

The AKC National Championship Presented by Royal Canin, one of the world’s premiere dog shows, returns to Animal Planet on January 1, 2019 at 6PM ET/PT. The four-hour New Year’s Day special will feature thousands of dogs from around the world competing for various titles across multiple events and more than $150,000 in prize money, the largest in the world of dog shows. Audiences will see highlights from each competition, including canine athletes racing through weaves and over hurdles in agility and showing off their competitive water diving skills in dock diving, and the show will culminate with the highly anticipated Best in Show.

New this year is a roster of dog-loving celebrities who will weigh in on which breed they think will win the coveted Best in Show honor, including EXTRA host Mario Lopez, actress and host McKenzie Westmore, multi-platinum selling artist Brett Young, Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson, Hallmark channel host Cameron Mathison, actor Kellan Lutz, and pro Football Hall of Famer Marcus Allen.

The show will air on Tuesday, January 1, 2019 at 6 PM ET/PT on Animal Planet and Animal Planet GO. There will be an encore presentation on Wednesday, January 2, 2018 at 12 AM ET/PT.